A project for studying ways to optimize utilization of evaluation products in public schools is reported. The results indicate that the negative picture of use prevalent in recent literature stems from the unrealistic expectation that local decision-makers will behave in a classically rational manner. Such a view ignores the political settings of…

The basic position taken in this paper is that the data collected under the Title I evaluation and reporting system can be used more effectively than they have been traditionally in making decisions about Title I programs, and that other types of data can and should be used in shaping and improving Title I programs. This paper combines information…

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development and David Ausubel's assimilation theory of learning are explicated and selected research involving both theories is reviewed in this paper. The two theories are compared on selected dimensions to demonstrate that they are compatible and that, in conjunction with one another, they form a strong…

This discussion deals with a new role for the public school instructional supervisor. This new role has generally been referred to as that of a disseminator of research results. In actuality, it would go beyond the role of an informal/formal disseminator. The requirements for skills in research/evaluation methodology are apparent, as is the…

The results of a major study on the topic of evaluation and decision making which was conducted at the Center for the Study of Evaluation are presented. The purpose of this paper is to explain what we know about independent educational accomplishment audits and the manner in which they have been carried out. As part of the larger study cited…

This paper explores the channels by which research data make their way into public discussion, policy, and practice. The thesis is that scientific knowledge tends to concentrate with the already knowledgeable, and a way to hasten the diffusion process is needed. (MT)

Seen from within the discipline of qualitative methods, the move to experimental forms of representation of research is an effort to represent live experience more richly and to connect social science research more closely to literary, poetic, and performance forms that address communities and indigenous discursive structures outside of academe.…

In recent years, considerable attention has been directed toward higher educations role as a driver of economic reform. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the processes and mechanisms by which academic innovations are successfully commercialized. The specific question is, what factors explain why some licensed innovations become bona fide…

Practical significance is concerned with whether a research result is useful in the real world. The use of procedures to supplement the null hypothesis significance test in four journals of the American Psychological Association is examined, and an approach to assessing practical significance is presented. (SLD)

The critical reading of research involves: (1) comprehension, (2) evaluation, and (3) application. A study examined six recently published textbooks to determine to what extent they attempt to help students learn to apply educational research; these texts were specifically designed for "consumers" of research (i.e., critical readers of…

What it means to use research is a potentially contentious topic. With the emphasis on constructivist approaches in teacher education programs, the traditional explanations involving generalizability are inadequate in that there is no consideration of what the user brings to the use. Discussion of the various ways in which use can be framed leads…

The proposed study will examine whether effective clinical supervision requires supervisors who practice certain strategies and procedures as they dialogue with supervisees in the conference, or whether the mere acquisition by supervisors and/or supervisees of research-verified knowledge about teaching and learning, e.g., the role of academic…

Adopting the position, expressed by A. P. Bochner in his critique of small group communication research, that placing measurement in a secondary role increases the danger of accepting the claims of experiments with excessive error, this paper examines nine current quantitative small-group communication studies. Using a schema developed by J. F.…

The primary goal of an Interactive Research and Development (IR&D) project is to encourage teachers to begin to use research findings and practices in their teaching and to develop some basic inquiry skills which they may used as a means of solving educational problems. Secondary goals are to enable teachers and researchers to study a specific…

A planning and decision making process to facilitate research dissemination is illustrated with the example of a research project to study techniques for helping young handicapped children make the transition successfully from a special preschool to a public school kindergarten. General guidelines for planning dissemination are listed. Major…